Mendocino Coast named 3rd top place to visit by New York Times

The New York Times ranks the Mendocino Coast third out of 52 top destinations around the world in its "Places to Visit" list for 2014.

The list, released Friday, features a video of he waves undulating around rocks of Mendocino County's North Coast, in the No. 3 spot from the top, outranked only by Cape Town South Africa in the No. 1 slot and Christchurch, New Zealand, ranked second.

"We're thrilled to see Mendocino County recognized as one of the best places to visit across the globe," said Scott Schneider, head of Mendocino County's official tourism agency Visit Mendocino, in a Wednesday statement from the Mendocino County Executive Office.

In the statement, the county Executive Office notes that the Mendocino Coast is featured in the Times' list "alongside destinations and experiences such as Cape Town South Africa's recent renaissance, a revived Downtown Los Angeles culinary scene and the biologically diverse environs of Ecuador including the Galapagos Islands," and that the article specifically highlights "the spectacular natural features of the coastline, which has drawn tourists for decades ... (including) opportunities for whale watching, hiking, and enjoyment of the rugged coastline that Mendocino County proudly claims as its own."

The New York Times' list includes calls California's North Coast "a glorious new preserve for the public," and features the following paragraph by Bonnie Tsui about the Mendocino County coastline:

"One hundred and thirty miles north of San Francisco, the moody bluffs of the Mendocino Coast have long been a spectacular place from which to observe marine life: passing humpback whales, sun-happy sea lions, foamy waves strewn with kelp. The incorporation of the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands -- nearly 1,300 acres -- gives hikers new access to a contiguous 12-mile stretch of coastline and fields of wildflowers, cypress forests and cliff areas (some overlooking dramatic blowholes, pinnacles and sea caves), much of it previously off-limits to the public. And Congressional proposals to include the north coast lands as part of the California Coastal National Monument have been introduced, which would mean better protection and more funds for maintenance; plans also exist to extend the California Coastal Trail through the new preserve."

According to the Executive Office, Mendocino County Board of Supervisors Chairman 3rd District Supervisor John Pinches saw the article over the weekend.

"The New York Times has been one of the most widely-read media sources in the country for decades now, if not the entire world," he said in the released statement. "This is a big deal. It's good exposure to help us welcome visitors to come see what we have to offer."

Fifth District Supervisor Dan Hamburg, whose district includes the southern half of the coast and the Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands, said he wasn't surprised that the New York Times named the region as a top destination.

"The recognition by The New York Times of the Mendocino Coast as the No. 3 most desirable Places to Visit' in the world is gratifying but certainly not surprising to those of us who call this place home," he said in the released statement. "As someone with the good fortune to represent this gorgeous place, I welcome everyone to come and see for themselves. I guarantee that no one will leave disappointed."

The New York Times article can be found online at: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/01/10/travel/2014-places-to-go.html